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help

My baby is 2 months old and I am doing both breastfeeding and supplement and for the past week she only breastfeeds for about 5 minutes before getting disinterested. She tugs at the nipple, then lets go, then wants back on and does this for a few minutes until finally I switch breasts and the same thing happens on the other breast. I have been supplementing for the past month and she has never done this until recently. I fear my milk supply is so low that she is not satisified and that I should stop breastfeeding. My breasts can ache at moments during the day and I feel a stinging pain sometimes when she sucks on my left breast.

Does this sound like I have no more milk and my baby is trying to tell me that buy tugging and then letting go? Please help if you know what to do!

Re: help

Originally Posted by lattemilk28

My baby is 2 months old and I am doing both breastfeeding and supplement and for the past week she only breastfeeds for about 5 minutes before getting disinterested. She tugs at the nipple, then lets go, then wants back on and does this for a few minutes until finally I switch breasts and the same thing happens on the other breast. I have been supplementing for the past month and she has never done this until recently. I fear my milk supply is so low that she is not satisified and that I should stop breastfeeding. My breasts can ache at moments during the day and I feel a stinging pain sometimes when she sucks on my left breast.

Does this sound like I have no more milk and my baby is trying to tell me that buy tugging and then letting go? Please help if you know what to do!

Thanks!

My ds did this same thing at about three months. I think it was his way of trying to rev up my supply. I just kept switching sides so he could keep getting as much out as possible, which also created more "demand". Since you're supplementing, are you pumping in addition to giving a bottle? If not, doing so will also help get your supply up. If you give a bottle without pumping, your supply will dip down.

The pain/stinging pain might be a case of thrush. I had the same sensations but they went away on their own. Not that I'm suggesting you do nothing, I just don't know for certain that's what you have.

One thing I am certain of is that you do not have to stop breastfeeding! When we went through our challenging time similar to what you're going through, I just followed my son's lead and let him nurse on demand. Soon after, I was having over supply issues. I never thought that could be me, as little as I was producing at that point! Hang in there, Mama!!

**Margaret**(the artist formerly known as mommamags) Mom to red- and curly-headed, blue-eyed, chunky-thighed Michael Thomas, 24 May 2007, 9 lb/22 in. As an infant, he was my little suckling pig. Now he's a total ham!!!

Re: help

Thank you so much for the advice. I cannot thank you enough for taking the time to respond to my email. I was feeling so discouraged about my situation but when I read your response I felt so much better to know someone else had the same problem moreover I was so encouraged to hear that you overcame the problem! I have already seen a difference today in how my baby is eating. Thank you again!

Re: help

You're not alone! I found so much help on the forum for Supply Issues. Those ladies really know their stuff. Since I live out in the middle of nowhere, my friend who's a LLL leader in Atlanta helped me tremendously by phone.

Just be sure to watch lo's diaper count to make sure she's getting enough.

**Margaret**(the artist formerly known as mommamags) Mom to red- and curly-headed, blue-eyed, chunky-thighed Michael Thomas, 24 May 2007, 9 lb/22 in. As an infant, he was my little suckling pig. Now he's a total ham!!!

Re: help

I had a similar problem when my LO was about 2 months old. At that point I had my 3rd or 4th lactation consultant come to the house, and she told me I was possibly losing my supply, not because my breasts had a problem, but because my baby was just too frustrated that there wasn't enough milk, and that he was perhaps weaning himself (and that pumping might not be enough to keep up the supply).

Well, I'm glad I didn't let that get me down. I am still breastfeeding and he is 7 and half months old! Yes, it's true that I have never breastfed exclusively. He has had lots of formula, and is starting solids now. But every day he's had - I don't know - somewhere between 3 and maybe 8 or 9 ounces of breastmilk. And that could make a huge difference in his lifetime health.

PLUS - last month he came down with RSV, an awful respiratory virus that lasts for 2 weeks and can land many babies in the hospital with difficulty breathing. It was such a comfort to him and to me that we were able to nurse. It was a scary time for us, but thank goodness I kept up the breastfeeding for all those months. I think it was really helpful when he was in pain and unhappy.

So... all in all, I'm very confident that you can continue breastfeeding. And don't let a little supply issue get you down. Whatever you provide is good, even if it's only a quarter of an ounce a day!

Re: help

Oh, and one thing I forgot to mention. Shortly after that my LO was diagnosed with acid reflux. I have always suspected that his nursing difficulties at that time were because he was in pain from the reflux. We started giving him medication for the reflux (with the guidance of a gastroenterologist, of course), and the nursing got back to where it had been or better.